Grade Bands: 5-6, 7-8, 9-12
Date: February 5, 2026 (Snow Date: February 20, 2026)
Location: Williamsport AND Canton Offices
Registration: Opening Soon
Contact Person: Shanna Haden, shaden@iu17.org
The Keystone Competition
PA Student Competitions are evolving to better inspire, engage, and impact students across Pennsylvania through the introduction of The Keystone Competition. This exciting, single-day event will replace the current Governor’s STEM Competition, making it more accessible and inclusive for all learners. The redesigned format invites students in three grade bands: 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12, to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve in a dynamic, hands-on environment.
A Day of Innovation for All Students
The Keystone Competition will take place at each of Pennsylvania’s Intermediate Units (IUs), allowing students and advisors to attend locally. The shift to a single-day competition lowers barriers to participation for both students and advisors by eliminating the extensive preparation previously required. This format welcomes a more diverse range of participants, encouraging students of all abilities and experiences to join in the excitement.
An Inspiring Kickoff and Challenge
The day will begin with a virtual keynote address that connects all participants, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. At the conclusion of the presentation, the speaker will unveil the day’s challenge—a real-world problem requiring innovative solutions.
Teams will then embark on their design journey, imagining, creating, and prototyping solutions within the day. Whether their solution is a digital product, physical prototype, or conceptual model, students will have the freedom to think big, collaborate, and showcase their creativity.
A Launchpad for Future Innovation
The Keystone STEM-a-Thon is designed not only as a stand-alone event but also as a stepping stone to other innovation opportunities. The ideas and skills students cultivate during the STEM-a-Thon can inspire participation in additional challenges, such as Invention Convention or MaDCom. By fostering creative confidence and problem-solving skills, the STEM-a-Thon empowers students to become active participants in the innovation pipeline.
A More Inclusive and Impactful Approach
The shift to the Keystone Competition marks a significant step toward equity, accessibility, and broad participation in STEM education across the Commonwealth. By streamlining the competition process, we are creating opportunities for more students to engage meaningfully with STEM, sparking their curiosity and unlocking their potential. This innovative format reflects our commitment to empowering students, supporting educators, and building a stronger, more innovative future for Pennsylvania.
General Design of the Day:
| Time | Event/Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:20 | Keynote of Activity Kick-Off | Virtual Broadcast (Recorded) |
| 9:20-9:30 | Challenge Announced | Virtual Broadcast (Recorded) |
| 9:30-12:30 | Teams collaborate and design their solution. Lunch will occur during this time, but students can continue to work over lunch. | Locally – in-person |
| 12:30-1:00 | Shark Tank Style Sharing: Break out into teams per location/room with judges present – teams present to both 4 other teams and to the judges | Locally – in-person |
| 1:30-2:00 | Winners Announced for each grade band (1st, 2nd, 3rd) | Locally – in-person |
STEM-a-thon Rubric
| Innovation & Creativity (4 points) | ___/ 2 Is the solution original or a unique improvement of an existing idea? (2 pt) ___/ 2 Does it creatively address the identified problem? (2 pt) |
| Feasibility & Technical Viability (3 points) | ___/ 2 Can the solution realistically be implemented with current technology/resources? (2 pts) ___/ 1 Could the prototype or concept function as intended? (1 pt) |
| Impact & Market Potential (4 points) | ___/ 1 Who benefits from the solution? Is it a niche market with a specific need, or does it appeal on a broader scale? (1 pt) ___/ 2 How effectively does it address a real-world need? (2 pt) ___/ 1 Is there a clear path for scaling or implementation? (1 pt) |
| Presentation & Communication (3 points) | ___/ 1 Clarity, organization, and persuasiveness of the pitch and engagement (eye contact, tone, confidence) (1 pt) ___/ 1 Effective use of visuals/prototype demonstration (1 pt) ___/ 1 Adherence to time limit (e.g., under 3 minutes) (1 pt) |
| TOTAL | ___ / 14 Total Points |
Hackathon/STEMathon Resources
Design Processes
Educators and learners should be encouraged to lean into design processes when prototyping at a STEM-a-thon Event. Typically, either a Design Thinking Process and/or an Engineering Design Process is leveraged. There are a variety of resources available to support the use of these processes. A few are listed below:
Design Thinking Process
- Innovation Training: Design Thinking for Students and Teachers
- An Educator’s Guide to Design Thinking
- Stanford d.school Design Thinking Bootleg
- Vimeo Channel: Design Thinking for Educators
- Edutopia 5 Minute Film Festival: Design Thinking in Schools
Engineering Design Process
- Teach Engineering: Engineering Design Process
- EiE: Engineering Design Process
- NASA JPL’s Engineering Design Process Flow Chart
- NGSS “Middle School Engineering Design”
Presentations
Once students have designed their prototype (digitally, physically, or conceptually) to solve the challenge, they’ll need to present the solution to judges. They will have limited time to explain and pitch their solution to the judges. This is a short and concise pitch not unlike what might be seen on an episode of “Shark Tank.” Here are a few resources which can help:
- Plan Your “Shark Tank” Pitch
- VenturLab Business Planner and Pitch Builder
- The Secret to Successfully Pitching an Idea | The Way We Work, a TED Series (Video, 4:46 Minutes)
Example pitches which can be used with students:
- 10-Year-Old Entrepreneur Wows with her Baby Spoon Product (7:07 Minutes)
- Jack’s Stand Pitch (1:35 Minutes)
- Junior Entrepreneur Pitches Glove Wrap! (7:38 Minutes)
- Brightwheel (3:30 minutes)